


There's a Catboy Outside My Door

by Rainy_Summer



Series: It's a Feline World [4]
Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Catboy AU, Catboy Wonho, Childhood Friends, M/M, catboy changkyun, catboy hyungwon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-16
Updated: 2018-03-16
Packaged: 2019-03-28 22:00:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13913031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainy_Summer/pseuds/Rainy_Summer
Summary: "Honey hyung?" the catboy called him with his deep voice. He stared at him some more before he threw himself at Jooheon. "Honey hyung!"





	There's a Catboy Outside My Door

Jooheon was going home after a long day at the cafe where he works at. It was the first day of enrollment on the nearby university, so the cafe was packed with students who were not really in a friendly mood after a stressful enrollment process. All he wanted to do was to get inside his house and lie like a starfish on his bed and pretend that the world around him doesn't exist. Jooheon is a very jolly person, a source of energy for some of his friends. But like any other human, he has those moments when he simply wants stay away from other people until he recharge his energy for a new day.  
Unfortunately, it was apparent that Jooheon wasn't going to get what he wanted once he spotted his Minhyuk hyung outside his door, trying to console a crying catboy who definitely wasn't Wonho nor Hyungwon.  
Jooheon contemplated escaping but Minhyuk already spotted him. "Jooheon!" He called him so loud that he became afraid that his neighbors would file a complaint about how noisy he and his friend were being.  
"I came to visit you because I miss you and I also want to give Kihyun and Hyungwon privacy because they fought and I don't want to get involved and I don't want to make things worst and I don't have any where else to go because Hyunwoo hyung was out of town and I don't think Wonho will be comfortable with being alone with me so came here and I saw him waiting at your door and I tried talking to him by asking him if he knows you and he answered 'Honey hyung' and I told him that I'm your friend as well and he told me 'Honey hyung' and then I tried talking to him some more but he started crying and I don't know what to do anymore."  
Jooheon barely understood anything from his hyung's rambling but he could make out the tears that are welling from his eyes because of panic and frustration.  
Jooheon shifted his eyes from Minhyuk to the crying catboy, who was rubbing his eyes as he wailed, Jooheon is anticipating an eviction notice soon.  
Jooheon did the thing that he's really good at. He neared his face towards the crying catboy. He positioned his index finger and middle finger near his eye and smiled widely and said, "Kkukku kkakka!"  
The catboy paused his crying and removed his fist from his eye.  
"Honey hyung?" the catboy called him with his deep voice. He stared at him some more before he threw himself at Jooheon. "Honey hyung!"  
=￣ω￣==￣ω￣==￣ω￣==￣ω￣=  
"So, Jooheon, who is he?" Minhyuk whispered to him while their watching the catboy sitting opposite them slurp his ramen.  
"Seriously hyung, I don't know."  
"What do you mean you don't know, he was clearly looking for you!"  
"I don't know, hyung. I swear, it's my first time meeting him."  
The catboy was eyeing both of them suspiciously as if sensing that they were talking about him. Jooheon decided to talk to him, hoping that the ramen calmed the catboy's emotion.  
"Hi," Jooheon started. "Do you really know who I am?"  
The catboy nodded. "Honey hyung."  
Honey was a nickname Jooheon used since he was a small child until when he was in middle school. Still, he couldn't remember when he encountered the deep voiced catboy.  
"I'm really sorry if I couldn't remember you. Can you please tell me your name?"  
The catboy thought for a moment before he opened his mouth.  
"Ch... Cha... Ch...," the catboy struggled to form words and ended. up crying again when failed.  
Jooheon rushed to his side, wrapped and arm around him and rubbed small circles on his back.  
"I'm sorry, I didn't want to pressure you!"  
The catboy cried for a while before he pushed Jooheon away for a bit and retrieved and old photo from his jeans pocket.  
On the photo was a two young kids, a chubby five year old boy and a three year old kid with chestnut hair and cat ears.  
Jooheon let out a loud "oh" when he finally recognized the catboy.  
=￣ω￣==￣ω￣==￣ω￣==￣ω￣=  
Aunt Minyoung was Jooheon's mother's best friend since high school. According to the story that his mother told him when he was still a young boy, Aunt Minyoung was a very loving person. Her love could cover the entire world that the angels decided not to give her his own child so that she could continue to love everyone, including Jooheon, and not just one child. Jooheon thought that the angels are stupid because if Aunt Minyoung was a loving person, she could still love everyone even if she has a child of her own. Jooheon ofcourse didn't argue with his mom because that's not what good boys do.  
Aunt Minyoung moved next door, much too his mother's delight. She brought with her a small boy who she claimed as her own child.  
Jooheon thought that the boy was cute the first time that he saw him, even if the said boy was hiding behind his aunt Minyoung's leg. He later learned that the boy was named Changkyun.  
Jooheon was curious about Changkyun. He learned that the other boy was three years old but he still couldn't talk. His mom told him that he started talking when he was a few months old and started conversing when was a little over one year old. Apart from that, Chankyun's hair color was lighter than most kids and his ears are not like Jooheon's or other kids'. His ears were also pointy like Mr. Fuzzy's, teacher Sungmin's cat.  
When Jooheon asked her mother, she smiled at him and replied, "People are different, Jooheon. No one is exactly the same as the other. Just because someone is different means we should not love. them anymore."  
So, Jooheon loved Changkyun with all his heart. He played with him even if other kids at the daycare didn't want to. He cuddled him when he noticed the mean look that some parents gave the other boy. He loved him because he was Jooheon's brother and his bestfriend.  
Jooheon was a very friendly boy. He never fought anyone, except that one day when his mother dropped him off on the day care a bit later than usual. He saw the other kids cornering Changkyun and asking him to 'meow' like Mr. Fuzzy. He pushed the other kids away to protect Changkyun. It was worth it even if he ended up with a small bump on his head courtesy of the toy car that was thrown at him by one of the bullies.  
He tried teaching Changkyun to speak or to at least say Jooheon's name so that he could call him whenever he needs someone to save him from bullies.  
"Come on, Changkyun! Say it. Joo-heon-hyung, it's easy!"  
Changkyun only shook his head.  
"Is it difficult? What about Honey hyung? Ho-ney-hyung. Try it Changkyun."  
He stopped insisting when he saw Changkyun started to cry. Only bad people makes Changkyun cry and Jooheon isn't bad and he loves Changkyun.  
"You're friend has gone crazy! If you want to stay and remain friends with her, go ahead, but I'm taking my son with me."  
He heard his father's screams and his mother's cries. At that time, Jooheon couldn't understand why they were fighting. He couldn't understand why his father hated his aunt Minyoung. He couldn't understand why they had to pack their things and move to another town. He couldn't understand why his father wouldn't allow him to turn back even when he could hear another child and calling him repeatedly while following their car.  
"Honey hyung!"  
Jooheon couldn't forget his hometown. He couldn't forget his aunt Minyoung. He couldn't forget Changkyun.  
His father insisted that Changkyun wasn't real, that he was an imaginary friend that Jooheon needed to let go because he's growing up. Jooheon didn't want to believe him, he wanted to scream. But one look at his mother's sad eyes made him swallow his words.  
He made a new friend in that town soon. A very loud and funny hyung, Minhyuk. He treated his new friend like his own brother, like how he used to treat Changkyun. Shownu came later, and soon, Jooheon forgot about Changkyun. Maybe, he wasn't real.  
When Minhyuk left the town to live with his then boyfriend, Kihyun, Jooheon followed. He couldn't stay anymore with his parents especially when he's sure that something has changed between them ever since the day they moved to another town.  
=￣ω￣==￣ω￣==￣ω￣==￣ω￣=  
Changkyun was inside his house, proving that Jooheon's memories hadn't just been a product of a playful imagination. Changkyun's real and he found Jooheon.  
Changkyun pulled out a note from his pocket, along with a photograph of an adult Jooheon.  
The note was actually a letter from his mom to his Aunt Minyoung dated 3 years ago, a couple of months before Jooheon's mom died. His address was written on the letter, in case Aunt Minyoung decides to visit him. Maybe that's the how Changkyun found him.  
Jooheon placed a hand between the catboy's ears and the latter beamed at him. He thought about Changkyun when he saw Hyungwon and Wonho but he couldn't trust his five year old self.  
"How's aunt Minyoung?" he tried to start a conversation which was actually stupid because he doubt if the catboy could talk.  
The catboy looked down and shook his head.  
=￣ω￣==￣ω￣==￣ω￣==￣ω￣=  
When Aunt Minyoung died three months ago, her distant relatives came to take over her house and properties and kicked the grieving Changkyun out. Jooheon couldn't even imagine the hardship that the younger had gone through in order to find him.  
He managed to find Jooheon, but then, what's next?  
Jooheon can't even take care of himself. How could he take care Changkyun?  
"Hyung," he confronted Minhyuk. "Do you think you can take care of another catboy? Kihyun is the one responsible for Hyungwon, right? Do you think you can take care of Changkyun?"  
"What are you talking about, Jooheonnie? "  
He bit his lips. "Hyung. I can barely manage to provide for myself. You, on the other hand has a stable job. You could take care of him better."  
Minhyuk placed a hand on his forehead. "Look, Jooheon. I'm not sure if you're making the right decision but you may need to think this through? I want to help you, I really do. But I just want you to be sure."  
Minhyuk left with the promise that he's willing to take care of Changkyun once Jooheon's already sure.  
=￣ω￣==￣ω￣==￣ω￣==￣ω￣=  
Jooheon was sure when he drove Changkyun towards Minhyuk and Kihyun's house.  
"You met Minhyuk hyung, remember? Kihyun hyung is equally nice and he's a good cook. You'll be fine with them, " he tried to assure the catboy despite the latter's obvious uneasiness.  
The catboy looked at him, pain visible in his eyes, when he was about to close the door and leave him.  
"I'll visit you. I promise. You'll be fine here. It's for the best."  
He smiled at him one last time before said goodbye to Minhyuk, Kihyun and Hyungwon who was evidently glaring at Jooheon amd finally closing the door.  
He heard Changkyun's voice calling him repeatedly and once again, he didn't turn back even when no one was telling him not to do so.  
=￣ω￣==￣ω￣==￣ω￣==￣ω￣=  
He wanted to visit Changkyun but fate wouldn't let him. With the café's month long anniversary celebration and co-workers coincidently getting sick or resigning, Jooheon couldn't even take a proper break. He was restless. It didn't help that his plagued with dreams of Changkyun calling him over and over again.  
Once he was able to take a day off, he went to visit Changkyun immediately.  
"Kyunnie! Look! Jooheon came to visit you!" Minhyuk excitedly told the catboy. The said catboy, however wouldn't even budge from his place in the couch between the arm's of an angry looking Hyungwon.  
He tried coaxing the chestnut haired catboy to talk to him, but the latter wouldn't even look at him.  
"We took him to a hybrid specialist," Kihyun told him when they, along with Minhyuk were drinking coffee inside the small kitchen.  
"They said that while Changkyun has no problem with comprehending our language especially when it's in written form, he has a problem when it comes to speaking, which you also probably noticed. We informed the doctor about his background based on the story that told us. He said that Changkyun wasn't able to grow up naturally."  
Jooheon furrowed his eyebrows.  
Kihyun continued. "He was adopted by your aunt at a very you age. He was raised like a human child. A human child and a catboy-kitten have different needs and different development speed. You're aunt wasn't able to provide what Changkyun needed and it affected his learning ability."  
"The doctor also said that Changkyun's probably confused about himself. He was raised like a human by your aunt but other people never treated him as such, " Minhyuk added while looking at him apologetically.  
=￣ω￣==￣ω￣==￣ω￣==￣ω￣=  
Jooheon tried visiting Changkyun more often even if the said catboy would always prefer play with Hyungwon than to face him. Even when Kihyun and Minhyuk managed to convince the catboy to spend some time with Jooheon, he never looked at his hyung's face.  
After a couple of months, there was an obvious improvement with Changkyun. He was starting to learn how to speak, and according to the specialist, it's probably associated with the fact that he lives with Hyungwon, someone who's similar to him. Hyungwon's existence in his life probably cleared up a lot of questions that Changkyun had about himself.  
Jooheon would throw a party just to hear Changkyun speak, but alas, even 'Honey hyung', Changkyun's first word, was never heard by Jooheon again.  
=￣ω￣==￣ω￣==￣ω￣==￣ω￣=  
He came to visit Changkyun again. He wasn't home. Minhyuk accompanied him to his scheduled meeting with the hybrid specialist. Kihyun on the other hand was at work so the only one home was Hyungwon. Wonho was there, too. Shownu dropped him off for a playdate.  
He couldn't help himself from sweating from the glare that the taller hybrid was giving to him. He tried looking at the blue haired catboy but he avoided eye contact with Jooheon and focused instead on the yarn that he was twirling around his fingers.  
Jooheon tried starting a conversation.  
"Hyungwon-hyung, what time do you think they'll come home?"  
"I don't know. I don't even know why you're asking me."  
He saw how Wonho subtly pinched the other for being rude but Jooheon let it go.  
Hyungwon continued. "I don't even know why you still come here here often. You already gave him away, remember?"  
Jooheon had a lot to say but he decided that it's best not to feed the catboy's anger.  
"You're confusing him. You should just stop coming here. He's fine with us now."  
"Hyungwonnie..." the blue haired catboy tried to calm the other.  
Hyungwon left to lock himself inside Kihyun's room while trying to cool himself.  
"You know," Wonho started, "We're always afraid. Always afraid that the people we love are going to leave us. Hyungwon and I doesn't need to hear it from Changkyun to understand what he's feeling. We were also abandoned by people we loved so much. And it... it hurts. It hurts when you think that there's probably something wrong with you that makes you unworthy of their love. You abandoned him twice, Jooheon."  
"What am I supposed to do? I was a kid then! I couldn't make my own decisions!" he snapped.  
Wonho ignored the change in his tone and continued. "But you're not a kid now. You're a grown up. You have a choice, but you chose to let him down, again."  
=￣ω￣==￣ω￣==￣ω￣==￣ω￣=  
Jooheon made a decision to stop visiting Changkyun. Maybe Hyungwon was right. He was just confusing the poor boy. He made the decision to turn Changkyun over to Minhyuk. He's a man, a grown up man who should know how to stand by his decisions.  
For months, Jooheon drowned himself with work loads. He started taking extra shifts on the café and and part-time jobs on his day off.  
He tried to forget Changkyun. He succeeded once, when he was still a child. Perhaps, he could do it again.  
But he's nor a child anymore. He's easily distracted. He's not anymore stupid to be deluded that Changkyun's not real.  
On one night, he was reminded of the chestnut haired catboy's existence when he found him again outside his door, accompanied by Wonho.  
"You stopped visiting and I noticed him getting sadder and sadder so I brought him here." Wonho smiled awkwardly.  
=￣ω￣==￣ω￣==￣ω￣==￣ω￣=  
Changkyun agreed to be left alone with Jooheon after Wonho reassured him that he would just be in the kitchen instead the younger needed him.  
"Tell him everything, Changkyun," he gave the younger a pat. on the back before retreating to the kitchen.  
There they were, awkwardly sitted in silence, side by side on Jooheon's small couch.  
Jooheon was about to call Minhyuk to fetch them when the catboy beside him started to speak.  
"Honey-hyung... Called honey-hyung... Honey-hyung leave... leave Ch-changkyun. Thirteen years... no Honey-hyung... Changkyun no friends."  
Jooheon was torn between being happy that the catboy was starting to talk to him and feeling guilty about the catboy's confession.  
"Changkyun waited... thirteen years... no honey hyung..." he heard the hybrid. sniffed but he refused to look.  
"Minyoung-eomma heaven... Changkyun no Minyoung-eomma... Changkyun no Honey-hyung... Changkyun no family... no house... Changkyun sleep... sleep on str-street... find Honey-hyung... Honey-hyung left Changkyun... Called Honey-hyung... Honey-hyung left... Changkyun... Changkyun no honey hyung."  
"But you have Minhyuk-hyung, right? Also Kihyun-hyung and Hyungwon-hyung. You don't need Honey-hyung," he tried consoling the younger catboy.  
"Honey-hyung, Changkyun bestfriend... Kihyun-hyun, Hyungwon-hyung... Wonho-hyung Hyunwoo-hyung... Honey-hyung, Changkyun. Honey-hyung, Changkyun! Honey-hyung, Changkyun!"  
The catboy was already sobbing and Jooheon's tears were falling. Jooheon was feeling sorry for Changkyun. Sorry that he had to feel attached to a kid who had no power to stand up for him. Sorry that he had to go through difficulties in order to see Jooheon again. Sorry that Jooheon's still the same kid who's incapable of doing something for him.  
"Honey-hyung hate Changkyun. Honey-hyung always leave."  
"No," he said, finally looking at the catboy before. enveloping him in a hug. "Don't say that. I don't hate you. Honey-hyung is sorry. Honey-hyung is stupid. Honey-hyung makes bad decisions. Honey-hyung loves Changkyun."  
The catboy cried even harder, harder than when Jooheon saw him surrounded by bullies back when Jooheon was five. and Changkyun was three. It was easier to comfort him then with a piece of candy and an assurance that Jooheon would always protect him.  
He let him cry because there's nothing else to do. It's better than to comfort him with promises bound to be broken.  
He held him. He held him until he cried all his tears out. He held him until the younger grew tired of crying and contended himself with the comfort of Jooheon's embrace.  
Minhyuk came later, intending to inform him that Wonho and Changkyun were missing, only to find them there. His hyung accompanied him for a late night walk after informing Kihyun and Shownu that he already found the two hybrids. The younger catboy, who fell asleep after crying for hours, was left under the care of the older, blue haired catboy.  
"You know, he was sad when you left him with us for the first time. Sadder when you didn't visit for a month. Saddest when you stopped visiting him after trying to connect with him again. He would always deny it but I could see him looking longingly outside the window. He was always waiting for you."  
"I thought he hates me for leaving him." he said, hands burried deep in his pocket to protect him from the cold.  
"He never did. He was just sad and confused as to why you would live him again. Do you know that Hyungwon still hates me? I think it's because I left him a day after taking him in. Changkyun and Hyungwon, I think even Wonho, are sensitive to the feeling of abandonment. I'm not sure if it's a catboy thing or simply because of their past experiences."  
"What am I supposed to do? I don't want to keep hurting him. But I'm not strong enough to take care of both of us. Hyung, I'm only a poor barista who needs to work day and night to pay bills and basic meals."  
Minhyuk placed an arm around his shoulder like a good hyung comforting his dongsaeng.  
"The problem with you, Jooheon, is you're only thinking about the financial aspect when that's probably not what he wants from you. Kihyun and I can handle that but you, you have a place im Changkyun's heart that no one, not even Hyungwon can replace. If you want Changkyun to stop worrying about you hating or disliking him, I think you also need to stop looking down on yourself. You're so much more to him than what you think."  
"What are you trying to say, Hyung?" he asked, seriously confused.  
"He can stay with us, if you're really struggling, financially I mean. We're your hyung. We will always help you. But you have to assure him. Assure him that no matter how many times you have to leave him and be far away from him, his Honey-hyung will always come back for him."  
Jooheon contemplated for a bit.  
"What if I hurt him again?"  
"Trust yourself. You wouldn't because you love him as much as he loves you."  
=￣ω￣==￣ω￣==￣ω￣==￣ω￣=  
"Listen. I'm sorry for leaving you over and over again. I'm sorry that I'm going to leave you once again. I'm sorry that it's the only thing that I can do right now."  
They were outside Minhyuk and Kihyun's apartment. He let Changkyun sleep over his apartment the previous night with the promise of returning him home the next day.  
Changkyun looked sad at the thought of not seeing Jooheon once again. So he cupped the younger's face with his hands and looked at him straight in the eyes.  
"Hyung is going to work hard so that one day, Honey-hyung will be able to take care of you. But for now, please endure with me. Endure a little bit more. I'll miss you as much as you miss me. I promise, I'll visit you and you'll not wait for another thirteen years to see me again. I swear. I'll keep my promise this time."  
He knocked on the door and was greeted by a tired looking Kihyun who smiled at them. He beckoned Changkyun to get inside. After one sad look at Jooheon, he did. Jooheon closed the door and started to walk away.  
He was only a few steps away from the apartment when he heard the door burst open and a deep voice called his name.  
"Honey-hyung!" this time, Jooheon turned back. "See you... soon?"  
Jooheon smiled and nodded.  
"Yes, Changkyun. I'll see you soon."

=￣ω￣==￣ω￣==￣ω￣==￣ω￣=


End file.
